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U.N. Pauses Evacuation of Seafarers from Strait of Hormuz; Death Toll from Venezuela Earthquakes Rises to at Least 589; U.S. Lifts Some Venezuela Sanctions to Allow for Relief Aid; Aircraft Appears to Have Crashed into Beijing Skyscraper; U.N.'s International Maritime Organization Pauses Evacuation of Stranded Ships. Aired 9-9:45a ET

Aired June 26, 2026 - 09:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[09:00:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST, CONNECT THE WORLD: Well, this is the scene in Caracas, where rescuers are racing to find victims of the Venezuela

earthquakes, before the Golden Window, as it's known, closes. It is 09:00 a.m. there. It's 05:00 p.m. here in Abu Dhabi.

From our Middle East programming headquarters, I'm Becky Anderson. You're watching "Connect the World". Also coming up, evacuations of stranded

seafarers are paused in the Strait of Hormuz after Iran strikes a vessel. Extreme heat melting national records across Europe.

And why high air fares may be here to stay, even though jet fuel prices are falling. Well stock markets in New York open about 30 minutes from now. And

futures at least indicating at this point a negative start to the trading day, with the NASDAQ down about 1.5 percent. We'll be back there at 09:30

local time for the opening of those markets.

Well, Venezuela has just issued an update. The official death toll from a pair of strong earthquakes there this week has more than doubled to at

least 589 people killed. Nearly 3000 there are injured, many others are missing. Rescue operations are gaining some traction with the search for

survivors in its second day.

Teams are now on the ground from Chile, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Mexico, and Switzerland. With others on the way, they are working

around the clock as the so-called golden window will close to find people alive. The desperation and sorrow apparent as Venezuelans look for their

own missing loved ones.

Well, my God, this woman is saying she traveled north to look for her father and said the damage in his neighborhood looks like a war zone. Well,

Mariana Atencio is a journalist based in Miami. She's been in communication with the Venezuelan diaspora, and she joins us now.

Firstly, can I say, thank you for joining us. I know that you've got friends who have been impacted by this? What are you hearing there?

MARIANA ATENCIO, JOURNALIST: Becky, it's utter devastation. My mom, uncles, close friends, part of my media team are all in Venezuela. They're all

safe, but really. And my family is part of that diaspora. So, I'm watching this like millions of us are refreshing our phones, waiting to see to hear

who is safe, and here's the hard part.

We can't even trust the numbers. You mentioned, the 589 people killed, but organizations on the ground are saying upwards of 30 to 40,000 people are

missing. 3.9 million children, like the video that we just heard you play are in the disaster area. And this is a regime, the Delcy Rodriguez regime,

that has denied there was a crisis that put us in this place in the first time that stole a lot of the medicine that was supposed to help these

people that dilapidated our oil industry.

So, when they gave us a death toll, you know, we don't exhale, we brace, because we know the real numbers are far worse.

ANDERSON: Yeah, and as you and I know, the first 24, 48 hours following natural disasters of this scale are the most important. Venezuela's

earthquake response, as you say, hindered by both the sort of economic and political situation in Venezuela. Just what can you tell us about what

authorities are doing and the outside help that is incoming? How is that going to work?

ATENCIO: It's a huge test for this regime that has a lot of accountability issues. I've been getting audios in the dead of night of them preventing

opposition groups from organizing on the ground. So, all of that political fracturing is going to debilitate them mounting a strong response.

[09:05:00]

As you said, the golden window is closing. I myself have covered earthquakes, particularly the one in 2017. 7.1 magnitude quake in Mexico

City, and I know how critical it is to let these teams in and to facilitate the aid, but you also need accountability and you need infrastructure, and

that is what this regime does not have.

So, we do have the teams on the ground from El Salvador, Dominican Republic, Chile, at least this regime is in good standing with the United

States to let those $150 million in aid that the U.S. has pledged in, but the graver issue is also Becky, the airport, Maiquetia airport is severely

damaged, especially the runway for those planes to be able to land.

So, it's a huge test for this regime. As I mentioned, that already has a lot of trust issues with the community, and I will say one more thing, as

they are receiving all of this aid, especially from the United States, there are over 500 innocent political prisoners that they are keeping

locked in, in prisons that already also suffered because of this earthquake, who are -- their whereabouts are unknown.

And they should be released and reunited with their families during this time as well. This is a moment where we have to come together as a nation

and rebuild.

ANDERSON: And again, you know, just have to underscore, I can only imagine the anxiety you must be feeling with family and friends there, given that

you're outside of the country. What do you make of the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling on temporary immigration protections?

And what that can mean for Venezuelans impacted by the quakes?

ATENCIO: It's a huge blow, Becky, because the Supreme Court rulings are now closing a door for temporary protected status that exists for that very

same reason. I was reporting in Haiti after the earthquake, and I live in Miami with a big Haitian population, that's what these programs are there

for.

And now the Supreme Court has said that they're shutting the door on around 300,000 Venezuelan TPS recipients, saying it is quote, unquote, safe for

them to return home. I want to ask the administration, what are these people that you now call our new good friends returning home to?

They are returning home to rubble and devastation.

ANDERSON: Well, it's good to have you on. I'm sorry that we are speaking at such a difficult time, but your insight and your background is obviously

incredibly important to us. Thank you very much indeed for joining us today. Well, the U.S. Treasury has temporarily lifted some sanctions on

Venezuela to allow aid to get through.

Washington is becoming a key player in relief support. A U.S. Marine Corps General has arrived in crackers to help lead the U.S.'s military relief

response. And the State Department announced earlier that it would provide $150 million in aid. CNN's Alayna Treene, across the very latest from

Washington.

And just get us up to speed with the scale of support that the U.S. is providing to Venezuela, and how much of an impact is it expected to have,

Alayna?

ALAYNA TREENE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, look, I think what's been really interesting to see over the past couple days back in response

to these devastating earthquakes is that the U.S. and really the president and this administration are eager to show that they are stepping up and

that they are going to provide aid to Venezuela.

At a time, of course, I should note when Venezuela had just recently kind of given up some of the relationships they had with Iran and Russia, and

instead embraced really this combative and aggressive approach of the U.S. trying to encroach on the country following the United States' capture of

their Former President Nicolas Maduro.

And so, they have to rely on the U.S., and we're seeing now a leadership -- leaders here in Washington trying to show that they are willing to lend

their support. To give you a sense of the scope of the aid, the United States is deploying elite rescue teams, medical resources, and humanitarian

assistance to Venezuela.

We heard the State Department, as you mentioned, Becky announced on Thursday that the U.S. will provide $150 million in aid to Venezuela

following these earthquakes. It said it pledged $100 million to a U.N. Humanitarian Fund for Venezuela and 50 million to aid organizations who are

already working in the country.

Now, we've also heard from the Defense Department. They say that they are going to provide aircraft to assess damage and find injured victims who are

still trapped under the rubble. Here we know SOUTHCOM, which, of course, is in charge of Latin America, also deploying several aircraft carriers

transport to also assist in this effort.

[09:10:00]

The president spoke in the Rose Garden last night, and brought up Venezuela, Becky. He made clear that we're going to help them out. So, we

have to really see, hopefully, when this aid is delivered and how effective it can be.

ANDERSON: Good to have you. Thank you very much indeed. Well, as we speak, we are getting breaking news out of Beijing. A small aircraft appears to

have crashed into the city's tallest building. Let's get you to Mike Valerio, who is in Beijing. And Mike, what do we know about this?

MIKE VALERIO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So, Becky, this is a 108-story building. So, just over my left-hand shoulder, I'm coming to you from my phone on the

way to the gym, when this happened, just before sunset. You can see a rectangular bank of lights now far after sunset, and you can also see

aircraft lights that are very faintly blinking.

On the other side of that building, you can see a gash in the side in the glass, I should tell you that this corner of Beijing, everybody stopped

when this happened. People looking up were in a safe position a few blocks away from law enforcement, where they have asked people not to photograph

the scene.

They have stopped people to ask what they are doing, be it journalists or native Beijingers. We can tell you that to say this is the unexpected is

perhaps the understatement of the evening, because of how secure Beijing is. There are no drones that are allowed in this airspace.

Commercial aircraft are restricted, very far away from where we're standing. So right now, we're trying to figure out how exactly this small

aircraft veered off course, and what exactly happened if this was a deliberate act, but in terms of when we're trying to figure out if this was

a deliberate act.

When you think of how secure this airspace is, drones banned in the City of Beijing, only allowed in Outer Hebei Province, and farther away from the

city center. This is almost inconceivable to happen here. So, on social media, we're going through pictures to assist the validity of what people

have captured on the ground here.

But again, this is the CITIC Tower, this is the Zhongguo Zun, more than 100 stories tall. It's one of the tallest buildings in the city, in the world.

Certainly, one of the tallest buildings by roof height. But I can tell you that as we're further away from law enforcement, there certainly is a sense

of, I should say, calm, and people just being absolutely befuddled, wondering what has happened here.

But I want to convey to our international audience, there is not a sense of panic here on the streets. There is certainly a large law enforcement

presence as we all try to figure out what happened, but certainly stunning. Again, to recap, if you're just joining us, this building, one of the

tallest in the world, on the other side of it, where we're standing, a small aircraft appears to have crashed into the building that dominates the

Beijing skyline, Becky.

ANDERSON: And the images that we are seeing as you speak, Mike, are of that building, difficult to actually see the impact site there, but we are, as

the cameraman holds his shot, getting a slightly closer look. Can you just give us a sense of how congested the airspace would normally be on a day

like today around this part of Beijing?

VALERIO: I mean, we can tell you it was a beautiful day, it was not a clear, severe clear atmosphere, but you know, beautiful clouds, perfect

visibility. So, when we're talking about if there, you know, where's any visibility problems, that is certainly not the case. And to reiterate what

we were saying a couple minutes ago, aircraft, Becky, are pushed far out of this area.

I mean, this is the central business district where skyscrapers dominate the area. So certainly, again inconceivable that this could happen here.

ANDERSON: Yeah, it's good to have you, Mike. Thank you very much indeed. More, of course, as we get it. United Nation's International Maritime

Organization has paused evacuations of hundreds of ships from the Strait of Hormuz after one of them was struck in what a U.S. official at least says

was an Iranian drone attack.

Paula Hancocks joining me now. Paula, this attack came hours after a warning from Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps. What more do we know of the

details of this attack at this point?

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Becky, the U.S. is saying that it was an Iranian drone that was hearing from the maritime agency in the UK

that it disabled the engine room of this vessel.

[09:15:00]

Now there were no casualties, there was no environmental damage, but confidence among the vessels, among insurance companies in the Strait of

Hormuz has once again been shaken. This was really the first incident we had seen since a remarkable number of vessels were starting to transit the

strait.

Now we saw on Wednesday, for example, 73 vessels, which is the highest we've seen since the start of the war, 54 on Thursday. Now today, after

this has happened, it will be very interesting to see the definitive number. It appears as though a couple of dozen have tried to transit the

strait at this point, but we won't have those confirmed figures until tomorrow.

We have heard that vessels have been told to be cautious, that they should report any suspicious activity, but of course this is a confident shake

that these seafarers did not need. So, the IMO, the International Maritime Organization, was in the process of evacuating more than 11,000 seafarers

who had been stuck in the Persian Gulf since the start of the war.

This was hundreds of vessels we were talking about. They have halted that effort. They have said that the safety of the seafarers is the number one

issue for them, and they are looking for more clarity. Now we have heard that warning from the Revolutionary Guard, and we're hearing similar from

Iranian officials that they want vessels to use what they call the Iranian route.

This is in the northern part of the Strait of Hormuz, so skirting the Iranian coast, which means that they are in control means that they have to

facilitate the movement of vessels there. Now and surprisingly what we are seeing is a vast number of the vessels trying to skirt the Omani coast in

the southern part of the water.

This is something that Iran wants to keep leverage on. They want to keep control of the Strait of Hormuz. And of course, what we're seeing at the

moment is really flying in the face of what we heard from the U.S. President, which is that the Strait of Hormuz is free and open at this

point, Becky.

ANDERSON: Iran criticizing a joint statement issued by the U.S. and its Gulf allies this week. This was a statement off the back of a U.S.-GCC

meeting in Bahrain, talking about the statement being provocative and suggesting there was a rethink on regional activities.

Clearly, there are heightened tensions during what is this 60-day period to reach a permanent peace deal, correct?

HANCOCKS: Absolutely, and what we saw in this statement between it was the U.S. Secretary of State in a number of Gulf nations that had really been

hit hard by Iranian retaliation during the war. What we saw is these Gulf nations interjecting and putting in their point of view into this

statement.

The fact that it's not just the nuclear program that needs to be discussed during the next 60 days, it's not just the Strait of Hormuz, but they want

to make sure that they are talking about the missile program in Iran, that, of course, was the greatest threat to them over the course of this war.

And, of course, the proxy around the world as well, that, excuse me, just the fact that there is this support for the proxies from Iran as well. So,

this is really the main concern that these Gulf nations have.

ANDERSON: The reason that Paula has stopped was for the first time in a very, very long time, both her phone and my phone has just received a

message saying, due to the current situation, potential missile threats, immediately seek a safe place in the closest secure building.

We are secure here. Paula is secure where she has. That is very unusual at this juncture in mid-June. We will investigate. Could be just a mistaken

message, of course. May not be, and we will clearly push to find out more. Paula, for the time being, thank you very much indeed.

Well, U.S.-mediated talks between Israel and Lebanon have been extended into today for a fourth day, and the State Department says they will

continue their work towards an agreement. Tensions between Israel and Iran- backed Hezbollah in Lebanon could threaten the U.S.-Iran MOU, which requires the end of military operations on all fronts.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio was optimistic about the talks progress.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARCO RUBIO, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: It will be a process, it will take some time, it will take a lot of work, but I can tell you that for the

first time in 30 years, the sovereign government of Lebanon is speaking to the government, Israel, directly.

[09:20:00]

That's who we're going to be negotiating with. That's who we're going to be working with, not Hezbollah. Hezbollah is not the government of Lebanon.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Well meanwhile, Hezbollah has developed a deadly arsenal of drones. Jeremy Diamond takes a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A Hezbollah drone cruises undetected over southern Lebanon, propellers whirring until its

target comes into view. A group of six Israeli soldiers caught off guard in front of a tank. The feed cuts at the moment of impact, which killed a 19-

year-old sergeant.

He is the first Israeli soldier to be killed by this type of drone, but not the last. The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah has deployed these cheap,

explosive-strapped first-person view drones to deadly effect. Dozens of videos from Hezbollah show they've struck tanks, air defense systems, and

unsuspecting troops in southern Lebanon and northern Israel.

The Israeli military says Hezbollah's drones have killed at least 12 soldiers since the current conflict erupted in March, 1/3 of all

fatalities. The key to their lethality, a spool carrying miles of thin fiber optic cable that keeps these drones tethered to their pilot rather

than emitting easy to detect radio signals.

Ukraine has been combating these fiber optic drones for two years, but Ukrainian officials say their Israeli counterparts didn't heed their

warnings about the emerging threat. The Israeli military now scrambling to catch up, deploying mesh netting like this to protect troops operating in

or near Lebanon, and providing them with shotguns in fragmenting rounds to take out approaching drones.

The military is also enlisting the private sector to help track this new threat using acoustic, optical, and radar-based sensors.

SHAI KURIANSKI, CEO OF AIRWAYZ: So, what we're seeing here is a scenario when we want to protect this area when a drone is crossing the line, the

protective line, according to the policy, then the controller will get an alert, and we know that there is a threat coming.

DIAMOND (voice-over): Shai Kurianski's company, Airwayz, is among those springing into action to give Israeli troops advance warning of incoming

drone threats.

KURIANSKI: Something very small that you can hardly detect is coming toward you. It does not transmit anything. You must fuse the data from multiple

sensors to map the sky accurately. This is what our system does.

DIAMOND: So, do you feel a real sense of urgency to solve this problem?

KURIANSKI: It's our children out there in Lebanon that are getting those -- explosives, and we will not wait with that. Of course, it's urgent.

DIAMOND (voice-over): Jeremy Diamond, CNN, Tel Aviv, Israel.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: And we will be back after this quick break. You're watching "Connect the World" with me Becky Anderson. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:25:00]

ANDERSON: Russian-installed officials in Crimea declared a state of emergency today in the face of intensified Ukrainian drone strikes on the

peninsula. Now, long lines have been forming, heading to the bridge that joins Crimea to southern Russia. CNN's Ivana Kottasova joins us now from

London.

You've been monitoring what is going on there. What more can you tell us about the situation right now in Crimea?

IVANA KOTTASOVA, CNN SENIOR REPORTER: Well, Becky, the situation is pretty bad. Crimea is becoming a very, very uncomfortable place to live. So, there

are widespread power cuts across the peninsula. And the local authorities are warning residents that their power is not likely to come back anytime

soon.

And that's because Ukrainians are continuing to strike the power supplies, which makes any kind of repair works really impossible. There are also fuel

shortages, so much so that many of many gas pumps across the peninsula have run out of fuel, and the ones that have fuel have been banned from selling

fuel to individual drivers.

So it is really no surprise that people are trying to get out of Crimea as quickly as possible, and that's why we are seeing these huge queues of

thousands of cars, because it turns out that even the escape route is becoming very -- is becoming impossible, because the only way out of Crimea

directly to Russia is through the bridge, and that bridge is also a target for the Ukrainians.

So, Russia has to shut it down on a regular basis, and the queues are becoming longer and longer.

ANDERSON: What do you think this situation tells us of anything about the trajectory of the wider war? And where are we at on that, at this point is

there any sort of direction of travel with regard to a peace deal?

KOTTASOVA: The situation in Crimea really shows that Ukraine has been able to put a lot more pressure on Russia in recent months. So, Kyiv really

increased the intensity and frequency of its medium strikes and longer- range strikes against Russia, and it's really trying to bring the war home to sort of everyday Russians who live far away from the front lines and who

have in recent years not really been forced to think about the war.

So, remember Becky, Crimea was annexed, illegally annexed by Russia in 2014. It was one of the opening moves of Russia's war on Ukraine. And since

then, President Putin has really invested a lot of effort into turning Crimea into sort of a crown jewel of the what he calls new regions of

Russia.

Russia has invested heavily in Crimea and tries to turn it into a resort, into a tourist destination. And it really, it worked for a while, Crimea

was a popular destination for Russian tourists, especially after Russia started the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 when many European

countries banned Russian tourists from coming.

So, it was working, the plan was working for a few years, but now with these frequent strikes, power cuts, fuel shortages, this plan is in pieces.

And it really shows that the war is not going the way that Russian President Vladimir Putin was planning. So, while we are seeing more of a

stalemate along the front lines, I would say that at the moment, while maybe it's not quite right to say Ukraine is winning the war.

I'd say it is fair to say that Russia is definitely losing more, Becky.

ANDERSON: Ivana, it's good to have you. Thank you very much indeed. Ivana will continue to monitor that developing situation. Thank you. Let's get

you up to speed on some of the other stories that are on our radar right now. Billionaire investor Leon Black is set to face a Capitol Hill grilling

in the next hour over his ties to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The Former Chairman of New York's Museum of Modern Art and co-Founder of Apollo Global Management will answer questions in a closed-door interview,

all part of the House Oversight Committee's Epstein probe. Texas is on the verge of requiring more than 5 million public school students to study

Bible stories and verses in the classroom.

[09:30:00]

The State Board of Education is expected to vote today on the measure, which would apply to students in kindergarten through 12th grade, starting

in 2030. That proposal has sparked a very wide-ranging debate. And we are just a few seconds away from the opening bell on Wall Street.

We're going to check in on markets as we near the end of what has been a volatile trading week. That is the bell being rung to bring in the welcome

in the trading day, end of the week, of course. And we'll do more on that after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDERSON: Well, if you were with us just a few minutes ago, you may have heard the alert going off on my phone, and that is not a familiar sound for

me. Thankfully, over the last few months or so, we did have them, of course, when the conflict was on in this region, but we have just -- I'll

just let you know that we've had a message from the Ministry of the Interior saying please disregard the previous warning, so thankfully

nothing to worry about there.

I'm Becky Anderson in Abu Dhabi. You are watching "Connect the World". And let's take a look at the markets for you. And these markets are now open

and trading, and as the futures market had indicated. We are looking at a weaker start to the last session of the trading week, with the NASDAQ down

more than 1 percent that is the tech-laden market, of course.

All eyes on energy markets today as well. After the U.S. says Iran launched an attack on a cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz, that sent global oil

prices higher on Thursday, but they are now back lower again. And we've got WTI trading there below 70, Brent crude at 73.

So around about those levels that we had when this conflict began back at the beginning of March. The price of jet fuel is down to its lowest level

since the war in Iran began, then. But will those savings be passed along to consumers in the form of cheaper ticket prices?

Well, it appears there is no relief from the sticker shock, at least for now. CNN Business Senior Reporter David Goldman live in New York for us.

So, we are seeing jet fuel prices drop, understandably, when we look at the where those benchmark indices are. So, why aren't air fares falling along

with them? What's keeping those so elevated, David?

DAVID GOLDMAN, CNN BUSINESS SENIOR REPORTER: Yeah. Well, I don't know if you've had the misfortune of being in an airport, Becky, for the last few

weeks, but they are very busy.

[09:35:00]

People really want to travel, and all of that demand is supporting those prices. Take a listen to what the CEO of Delta, Ed Bastian, had to say

about why they are not expecting prices to fall all that much. Here he is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARIA BARTIROMO, FOX BUSINESS NETWORK ANCHOR: Do you expect prices to keep going higher?

ED BASTIAN, CEO OF DELTA: I don't think so. I think the initial shock prices went up 10 to 15 percent not just Delta across the airline industry,

and I think that was probably the right level. Oil prices have come down now, so I think we're in a pretty good spot.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GOLDMAN: Yeah, so I mean, if you don't have to lower prices because demand is falling, then you can keep them where they are, but I think that a lot

of consumers are probably wondering, well, wait a minute, if your jet fuel prices have fallen 42 percent over the past, you know, month, why can't my

ticket prices fall, and that I think is a misunderstanding of how it is that airlines set prices.

It is supply and demand. If people want to fly, they can raise the prices. It just so happened that they said that they wanted to raise the prices

because the price of jet fuel had risen a lot. It just coincided with the summer travel season that allowed them to do it, Becky.

ANDERSON: Always good to have you, David. Thank you very much. Well, a searing heat wave continues to grip Europe, and it is driving temperatures

to record-breaking levels in recent days, and you'll -- have been well aware of this if you've been with us on the show.

We've reported prices -- heat in France, UK, Spain, and Switzerland as records as the extreme conditions intensify. The extreme heat, also proving

deadly. Spain reporting more than 200 heat-related deaths in just four days. France says at least 48 people have drowned as many try to escape the

scorching conditions.

CNN's Saskya Vandoorne is in Paris with a look at how people are coping with what are the brutal conditions there.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SASKYA VANDOORNE, CNN PARIS BUREAU CHIEF: People in France are fed up, they're tired because it's been a week of these really high temperatures,

and they haven't been able to sleep. Most households here just do not have air conditioning. So now authorities are taking more and more drastic

measures to try and protect citizens.

Hospitals are under increasing strain across the countries. The Paris police chief, to try and ease the burden, has banned Parisians from

drinking alcohol outdoors in public, starting at noon today. Paris officials have also asked the organizers behind Pride March to cancel the

march on Saturday.

Other measures that have been taken over 10,000 schools have been closed, or the school day has been shortened again, because these buildings just do

not have AC. And three nuclear reactors have been shut down to try and protect the river ecosystems to try and keep those river temperatures low.

Now there is some respite in sight, as French forecaster Meteo-France has said that on Sunday temperatures should ease. Saskya Vandoorne, CNN, Paris.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: All right, France and Norway have secured passage to the knockout phase of the World Cup, but for Mbappe and Haaland, there is another battle

on the line. More on that is after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:40:00]

ANDERSON: Two of football's great forwards, lock horns. Later today, France's Kylian Mbappe and Norway's Erling Haaland meet with the top spot

in their group on the line. It is not on the line, the fact that these two go through, but who comes first and who comes second, of course, is

important as to who they meet next.

Don Riddell in the house. These two have been an absolute pleasure to watch. What do you -- what are you thinking ahead of the game tonight?

DON RIDDELL, CNN WORLD SPORT: What's up, Becky? Great to see you. Yeah, you know, top spot in the group is up for grabs, but also they're both in a

race for the golden boot, and you know, these guys, and of course, Lionel Messi, I mean, they have come out of the blocks firing on all cylinders in

this tournament, both in Mbappe and Haaland have scored four goals already, so far in their respective first two games.

It's a shame that there isn't more jeopardy in this game, but it's just going to be so great to see these two on the same field going head-to-head.

What's really interesting is that Haaland was asked about this game after his previous match, and he basically said, yeah, I'm not really thinking

about it.

RIDDELL: France is probably going to win. They're probably going to go on and win the whole tournament. And he was just so chill about it. I can't

believe that --

ANDERSON: Did he say that? I didn't hear that. Yeah.

RIDDELL: I can't believe that's what he really thinks. You don't get to be as good as he is by sort of not caring.

ANDERSON: Yeah.

RIDDELL: But it showed a really cool side to his personality --

ANDERSON: Yeah.

RIDDELL: It's going to be a lot of fun.

ANDERSON: And what's also going to be a lot of fun is watching those Norwegian fans. They have been exceptional with the rowing.

RIDDELL: Row --

ANDERSON: The Viking boat, it's just been, it's been amazing, and there's always one set of fans. The wonderful thing at this World Cup, at least to

date. Let's cross our fingers, is there's been no trouble.

RIDDELL: Right.

ANDERSON: But watching those guys is the absolute joy. More on that in "World Sport". I'll be back 15 minutes time. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:45:00]

(WORLD SPORT)

END